From the earth to the moon《从地球到月球》精讲之四

Emmett: Justshootin' the shit. Informal. No big deal.Coffee klatch, kind of stuff we can cut into anytime during our broadcast of the mission.

Mike Collins: Say, are we underdressed, Emmett?

Emmett: Oh no, not at all, boys. I'm just a creature of habit. I can't goon the airwithout puttin' on my tie. We'll be on the air from the moment you cross through the equigravisphere right up through the big moment. And to tell you the truth I'm gonna need all the help I can get.

Neil Armstrong: I don't know, Emmett. Cronkiteworked us over. I don't know how much we have left for you.

Emmett: Forget what I just said. We'll start with you. Now, Mike, you have a role unlike any other human being in the world.

Buzz: So, are we beginning now?

Emmett: Oh, yeah. They started rolling the minute I sat down. And we are having an informal chat with these three men who need no introduction.

Reporter: This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control. We can nowcount downfor Apollo 11 the flight to land the first men on the moon. We're on time at the present time for our planned liftoff of 32 minutes past the hour. "T" minus 60 seconds and counting. We've passed "T" minus 60. Fifty-five seconds and counting. Last I reported back when we received the good wishes. "Thank you very much. We know it will be a good flight."Good luck and Godspeed. Forty seconds away from the Apollo 11 liftoff. All second-stage tanks now pressurized. Thirty-five seconds and counting. We are still go with Apollo 11. Thirty seconds and counting. Astronauts report it feels good. "T" minus 25 seconds. Twenty seconds and counting. "T" minus 15 seconds. Guidance is internal. Twelve, eleven, ten, nine--Ignition sequence starts. Six, five, four, three, two, one--Liftoff. We have a liftoff.

Emmett: That was four days ago. It was witnessedin personby over a million people in Florida and billions of people on television around the world. It was history. I'm Emmett Seaborn. You are watching NTC'sspecial coverageof Apollo 11 to theSea of Tranquility. The date is July 20 of the year 1969. If everything goes according to plan an event will take place today that will forever mark the 20th day of the seventh month of the year.

Buzz: You're even. That's good. You have plenty of room on your left. You're a little close on the right. Pack down a little bit. Pack down. That's it. Doin' fine. You got it.

Neil Armstrong: Okay, Houston, I'm on the porch.

Mission center:Roger, Neil. Standing by for your TV. Okay, we're getting a picture on the TV.

Neil Armstrong: Okay, I just checked this. Getting back up to that first step. It's, it’s not even collapsed too far, but it's adequate to get back up. I'm at the foot of the ladder. The LEM footpads are only depressed in the surface about one or two inches although the surface appears to be very, very fine grain, when you get close to it. It's almost like a powder. I'm gonna step off the LEM now. That's one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind.

妙语佳句，活学活用

1. Shoot the shit

俚语，意思是“to chat idly about things that neither person involved in the conversation will be likely to remember闲聊，瞎聊”，例如：

John: We decided to shoot the shit for a while.

Jeff: Oh yeah? What'd you talk about?

John: I don't remember.

2. Coffee klatch / coffee klatsch

边喝咖啡边聊天，也是“闲聊，瞎聊”的意思。

3. On the air

指的是“in the act of broadcasting; being broadcast在广播/播出中”，例如：The program will be going on the air in a few seconds.

他的反义词就是 off the air，意思就是“not broadcasting 不在播出中，停播”，例如： The station goes off the air at midnight.

4. Work over

Work over 这里的意思是“to study or examine thoroughly”。Cronkite is a famous TV star, while Emmett is more the lesser known reporter. 在录制节目以前，Cronkite 已经教给宇航员们要怎么说了。Emmett 只需直接问问题。他现在同他们的谈话无非是让宇航员们放松一些。

If you are worked over or given a working over, it means someone has told you something rather directly and perhaps strongly. 例如：The teacher worked over the students before the principal came into the classroom.

5. Get good stuff on someone

这个片语的意思是“对某人了解很多/非常了解”，例如：I did a google search on you and I’ve got some good stuff on you.

6. Tail-end Charlie

是非常口语化的用法，指“a person or thing that brings up the rear in a group or formation 一组人或事物中的最后一个”。

7. Count down

“倒计时”的意思，例如：The final seconds before take off were counted down: 10, 9, 8, etc.

这本身就是一个源于火箭发射的片语，后来被推而广之用来指各种“倒计时”。此外，countdown 还可以表示“make final preparations for an event 做最后的准备”，例如：Beijing is counting down to the day when it holds the 2008 Olympics.